Socratic Seminar
Socratic Seminars are based on the philosophies of Socrates. Socrates believed in the power of questioning. Elfie Israel describes this process: The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others. They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly. (89) Motivation while reading the required piece is almost automatic, as most students will read with purpose in order to be ready to develop relevant answers in front of their peers.
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In the video to the above, the instructor does a very good job of explaining Socratic Seminar in layman's terms - she explains this process as having a conversation. By downplaying the formality of a typical class discussion, students are more likely to be truly engaged in the process. The discussion that occurs is intended to be open, with many voices offering ideas supported with evidence from reading (Miller & Veatch, 2011).
The instructor also does a nice job of redirecting the questions and making them more open ended. This prompts the student in the leader position to do the same. |
The website paideia.org provides a summary of Socratic Seminar, as well as, links to topics, how to ask Socratic questions, rules and sample lesson plans. Click the button to the right for more information.
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A variation of this strategy is a Learning Club. Learning Clubs are grouping systems that organize students around active learning events (Miller & Veatch, 2011). This process was derived from the traditional book clubs, where people meet to discuss books. Learning Clubs can be used in conjunction with Socratic Seminars, with the twist of groups forming their own circle discussion and coming up with group responses before the Socratic Seminars take place. The Clubs can also be used before the Socratic Seminars are introduced, as this smaller group work will cause less anxiety, due to the number of people in a group. It is far easier to speak in a group of 3-4 than it is to speak in front of a class of 20-25.
Sources
Israel, Elfie. “Examining Multiple Perspectives in Literature.” In Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions n the English Classroom. James Holden
and John S. Schmit, eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.
Miller, Mimi, & Veatch, Nancy. (2011). Literacy in Context (LinC): Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-
12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
and John S. Schmit, eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.
Miller, Mimi, & Veatch, Nancy. (2011). Literacy in Context (LinC): Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-
12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.